East Bay Volunteers Honor MLK Jr. With Day of Service

PARIS, FRANCE: The US clergyman and civil rights leader Martin Luther King addresses, 29 March 1966 in Paris' Sport Palace the militants of the "Movement for the Peace". "Martin Luther King was assassinated on 04 April 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. James Earl Ray confessed to shooting King and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. King's killing sent shock waves through American society at the time, and is still regarded as a landmark event in recent US history. (Photo credit should read AFP/Getty Images)

BERKELEY (KCBS) – It seems as though Monday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day isn’t viewed simply as a day off for an increasing number of Bay Area residents. Rather, they are turning it into a day of service, benefiting those in need.

For instance, some volunteers planned to fix up a half-dozen homes in one of Richmond’s roughest neighborhoods – the Iron Triangle.

“Everybody on the block has gotten together and they have a dream of where they want their homes and their neighborhood to be,” Berkeley contractor Michael McDowell said of the 800 block of 6th Street in Richmond. He and fellow Lions Clubs members planned to work free of charge on homes on that block for free on Monday. “We took the first six applications and we’re going to repair six homes, we’re going to build a community garden, we’re going to haul about 100 cubic yards of trash.”

He estimates the day’s work translates into about $100,000 worth of work.

KCBS’ Doug Sovern Reports:

There will also be health professionals in the area providing free eye exams. Hot meals will also be provided.

McDowell reasons there’s nothing better than honoring the dream of Dr. King by helping other people’s dreams come true.

“It’s not just my job, it’s my passion and I want to bring people in the community together to do this,” he explained.

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Doug Sovern began his career as a copy boy at the New York Times, and then moved to California to play in a rock band. After hundreds of gigs, an indie album and a whole lot of session work failed to make him a rock star, Doug returned to journalis...